He used his Christmas Day address to urge healthcare for all and vaccines for the poor.
Summary
- Pope Francis has prayed for an end to the coronavirus pandemic, using his Christmas Day address to urge healthcare for all, vaccines for the poor and for dialogue to prevail in resolving the world’s conflicts.
- Amid a record-setting rise in Covid-19 cases in Italy this week, only a few thousand people headed to a rain-soaked St Peter’s Square for Francis’ annual Christmas address.
- Italy’s 2020 Christmas lockdown forced Francis to deliver a televised address from inside the Apostolic Palace to prevent crowds from forming in the square.
- AdvertisementThe pope’s Christmas Day speech gives him an opportunity to draw a global audience’s attention to conflicts big and small.
- Pope Francis delivers his Christmas address (Gregorio Borgia/AP)Francis warned of the pandemic tendency to withdraw and isolate, urging instead dialogue to try to resolve the world’s conflicts.